The Best Decision Ever (annnnnd Happy Four Year Naturalversary to me)!

I.  Love.  My.  Hair.
Enough said.

2 years post-BC

I officially started transitioning back in April of 2009.  I entertained the idea of going natural my first year of college in 2006, but I started the process in April 2009.  I do not miss the creamy crack (Yes, Lord).

Going natural was a knowledgeable decision for me.  The natural look was very attractive of course, but when it comes to hair styles, I can be very fickle.  So b
efore the plunge, I researched other women's journeys.  I wanted to know why--if not just for the style--do women "go natural." I came across a variety of reasons, but for most women, they wanted to embrace the hair God blessed them with.  These were women who had gotten relaxers because it made their hair more manageable, and the long, silky locks made them more "attractive."  The women had reached a point in their lives where they wanted to cut the ties to society's definition of beauty and embrace their own.

At that time in my life, that spoke volumes.  I was attracted to rebellion!  But I learned it was still so much more to it than that.  I researched why women had relaxers--going back to that societal definition of beauty, conservatism, assimilation, and merely manageability--which lead to the history of relaxers...I can get very literary here, but let me just sum it up: black hair was unattractive, unkempt, and unacceptable.  In efforts for black women to receive a pinch of acceptance from non-Blacks or even their own black brothers and sisters, hair needed to be straight.  The straighter the hair, the lighter the skin, the better you are, and most likely to be half-way accepted.  Straightening methods became extreme, in addition to skin-bleaching methods.  Relaxers were the best way to earn some sense of humanly respect.

After the history lesson, I researched the effects and dangers of relaxers.  Experts have linked relaxers to alopoecia, migraines and other health ailments.  After realizing there wasn't much difference between an adult relaxer and my "kiddie perms," I said, "uhn, uhn." Done-ditty with that.  I just couldn't find the worth in that.

Creamy Crack

Now, let me tell you, I had beautiful, relaxed hair (check the pic to the left--I think I was transitioning here).  Blowing in the wind, face-framing, fully layered, attractive locks.  I knew that would be no longer, and I was ok with that.  So in Fall of 2008, I dropped relaxers from my lifestyle.  I did; however, continue to flat iron and roller set my hair. I put my hair through some trauma.  In April of 2009, I reverted, and got what I knew would be my last relaxer.

My hair started shedding (I won't say breaking...I will not claim that...but, yea) profusely.  My ends were thinning, but my hair at the roots was thick! I didn't realize I was damaging my hair.  For whatever reason, I thought this was normal.  I didn't know that I had to treat my natural roots and relaxed ends the same way.  Dealing with two textures became very difficult.

The infamous bob

I wound up cutting my hair into a very cute bob.  I.  Miss.  My.  Bob (check the pic to the right lol).  I wasn't fully natural at that point, so I decided as I transitioned to maintain the bob to get me to an all natural state....but here I was, flat ironing my hair every day.  Let someone BREATHE their moist breath on my hair, I was somewhere ready to flat iron.  My hair looked perfect, but I was training my hair to be permanently straight!! Foolish.

MY Big Chop

As the bob got better and prettier, my natural curly hair became straighter.  In May 2011, I cut my fully natural hair off! It was MY big chop.  I specify MY because it wasn't your typical BC.  I left a lot of length in the front, but the back was cut as short as I could go without having to have it shaved.  Thinking back, I wish I would've just gradually cut my straight hair off, but I didn't know much about protective styling outside of weaves, and my hair wasn't in the condition to wear curly.


The short cut was great, especially for my confidence.  I had never had hair that short before, and when worn naturally, I thought I looked like a boy...with a hot hair cut.  That's when I started learning about protective styles.  I had my weaves, twists, Bantu knots, and even a half wig.  I started paying more attention to my hair products, and adjusted as necessary.  I (re) fell in love with my hair.  I literally watched it grow.

Now, my hair is the business.  It's long, meaning big, and it's healthy--which is the most important.

I'm going to name my hair one day

I really have a relationship with my hair.  I talk to my hair.  I treat it the way I want it to treat me.  We are good!  I haven't wanted to change a thing about my hair.  For anyone who knows me, I love to change my hair.  I can have a weave to my butt, braids, an afro, a twist out...I can want to shave my head most days (just to see how I'd look).  But one thing will never change.  It's natural state.  As the title so perfectly states, this has been the best decision ever.

--DJ